Indiana’s
unemployment rate in September was 3.5 percent, the same as in August, and
remains lower than the national rate of 3.7 percent,” the Indiana Department
of Workforce Development is reporting.

With the exception
of one month when it was equal (October 2014), Indiana's unemployment rate
now has been below the U.S. rate for nearly five years. The monthly
unemployment rate is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicator that
reflects the number of unemployed people seeking employment within the prior
four weeks as a percentage of the labor force.

“Indiana’s labor
force had a net increase of 4,564 over the previous month. This was a result
of a 337 decrease in unemployed residents and an increase of 4,901 employed
residents. Indiana's total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers
employed and those seeking employment, stands at 3.39 million, and the
state’s 65.1 percent labor force participation rate remains above the
national rate of 62.7 percent.

In addition, the
number of Indiana's ongoing regular unemployment insurance claims is the
lowest since 1976, when unemployment insurance claims were first recorded.

Private sector
employment has grown by more than 26,400 over the year and has increased by
2,500 over the previous month, primarily due to gains in the trade,
transportation and utilities (+2,400); and other (1,700), which includes
mining and logging, IT and other services sectors.

Total private
employment stands at 2,710,900 and is 22,000 above the December 2017 peak.

Regionally and
Locally

Here in Northwest
Indiana, on the other hand, jobless rates in September plummeted.

In Porter County
the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate in September dropped by more
than half a point, to 3.4 percent from 4.1 percent in August (3.7 percent in
September 2017).

In Lake County the
unemployment rate in September also fell by more than half a point, to 4.5
percent from 5.1 percent in August (4.9 percent in September 2017). In
LaPorte County the unemployment rate in September similarly dropped by more
than half a point, to 3.8 percent from 4.5 percent (3.9 percent in September
2017).

In Chesterton the
unemployment rate in September fell by more than a full point, to 3.0
percent from 4.1 percent in August (3.7 percent in September 2017).

In Valparaiso the
unemployment rate in September dropped by half a point, to 3.3 percent from
3.8 percent in August (3.5 percent in September 2017).

In Portage the
unemployment rate in September fell by more than half a point, to 3.8
percent from 4.5 percent in August (4.5 percent in September 2017).

Unemployment rates
elsewhere in September:

* In Gary the rate
fell by more than half a point, to 7.1 percent from 7.9 percent in August
(7.6 percent in September 2017).

* In East Chicago
the rate fell by exactly one full point, to 5.9 percent from 6.9 percent in
August (6.8 percent in September 2017).

* In Hammond the
rate fell by nearly a full point, to 4.4 percent from 5. 2 percent in August
(5.5 percent in September 2017

).

* In Michigan City
the rate fell by one full point, to 3.9 percent from 4.9 percent in August
(4.5 percent in September 2017).

* In LaPorte the
rate also fell by one full point, to 3.9 percent from 4.9 percent in August
(4.5 percent in September 2017).

Alternative
Measures

The official
national unemployment rate in September was 3.7 percent, down from 3.9
percent in August (4.1 percent in September 2017).

However--according
to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics--if “discouraged workers,” all other
“marginally attached workers,” and “total part-time for economic reasons”
are included in the tally, then the unofficial national unemployment rate in
September was 7.5 percent, up from 7. 4 percent in August (8.0 percent in
September 2017).

Marginally attached
workers are those who indicate “that they want to job, have looked for work
in the last 12 months (or since the last time they worked if they worked in
the last 12 months), and are available for work.”

Discouraged workers
are not currently looking for work for several reasons, including their
belief that no job is available to them in their line or in their area.

Persons employed
part-time for economic reasons are those “who want and are available for
full-time work but have had to settle for a part-time schedule.”